Process Engineer

About Onyx Specialty Processing

Onyx Specialty Processing is a surface finishing company in Decatur, Texas, serving the aerospace and defense industries. We do anodize, chem film, passivation, prime and paint, and fluorescent penetrant inspection to MIL-SPEC, AMS, and customer specifications in a Nadcap-accredited shop. We are growing, adding new customer approvals, and building the processes and tooling that go with them.

Position Overview

We are looking for an experienced Process Engineer to set up and support the processes our technicians run. You will take customer drawings, parts lists, and specifications and turn them into work instructions, routers, and fixtures. Then you will be on the floor with the technicians every day - at the tank line, in the paint booth, and at the penetrant line - running the first parts, fixing what doesn't work, and making sure the process is being done the way it was written. This is a hands-on job, not a desk job.

You will be expected to start contributing in your first week. The role reports to the General Manager and works closely with the Quality Manager, Technician Supervisor, and production technicians. It does not have direct reports.

• Job Type: Full-Time, Salaried | Department: Engineering | Reports To: General Manager
• Day Shift | Monday-Friday | Decatur, Texas | On-Site
• Process Design & Planning

Read customer drawings, parts lists, purchase orders, and spec call-outs to figure out what the part needs: finish, masking, contact points, critical surfaces, and inspection.

Read prime and industry specifications for anodize, chem film, passivation, prime/paint, and penetrant inspection and turn them into Onyx work instructions and process limits.

Write routers and work instructions that lay out the process step by step - sequence, parameters, racking and masking, hold points, and in-process checks - and submit them to Quality and leadership for review.

Design fixtures, racks, masking tools, and molds in SolidWorks. Build them in-house with our FDM 3D printers and shop tools, or send them out to a vendor.

Check our current processes against new customer specs and spec revisions, find the gaps, and update the documentation.

Lead first article and new part setup on the floor - run the first parts with the technicians, adjust, and release to production.

Floor Support

Spend time on the floor with the technicians every day. Train them on new and revised work instructions, watch the process run, and verify it is being done as written.

Set process parameters, control plans, and bath chemistry limits with Quality.

Calculate surface area, current density, cycle time, and coating thickness targets for anodize and chem film work.

Troubleshoot process problems - adhesion, thickness, burn, pitting, coverage, appearance - and run root cause and corrective action with production and Quality.

Find and fix things that slow us down: setup time, rework, scrap, and inconsistent results.

Quality & Compliance

Work with the Quality Manager to supply the process documentation and support needed for Nadcap, AS9100, customer, and prime approval audits.

Support process qualification, PFMEA, and periodic testing as directed by the Quality Manager.

Make sure the processes you design follow OSHA, EPA, and company rules for chemical handling and waste.

Requirements

• Required
• Must be a U.S. citizen (required for aerospace compliance).
• Bachelor's degree in Chemical, Mechanical, Materials, or Manufacturing Engineering, or a related engineering field.
• 5+ years of process engineering experience in aerospace chemical processing or metal finishing (anodize, chem film, passivation, plating, or prime/paint).
• Experience writing work instructions, routers, and process documentation in an aerospace or defense shop.
• Able to read engineering drawings, GD&T, parts lists, and prime/industry finishing specs.
• Proficient in SolidWorks.
• Working knowledge of Nadcap Chemical Processing and AS9100.
• Writes clearly. Your work instructions will be read by technicians and reviewed by Quality.
• Must pass a pre-employment background check and drug screening.
• Preferred
• Experience getting or keeping approvals with major aerospace primes.
• Experience with FDM 3D printing for fixtures, masking tools, and molds.
• Familiar with fluorescent penetrant inspection and aerospace prime/paint systems.
• Experience with ERP/MES systems for routers, work orders, and process records.
• Lean, Six Sigma, or formal root cause / corrective action training.
• Skills
• Turns spec language into shop-floor instructions a technician can follow without losing any requirements.
• Would rather stand at the tank with a technician than read about it in a report.
• Organized and self-directed; can carry several new part setups at once and still hit delivery dates.
• Communicates clearly with technicians, Quality, leadership, and customers.